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The Authority On Everything From Beard Oil’s / Balm’s & Kicking Ass

Wait little me reiterate that and give this it's due justice. It's not just a beard competition, it's the...

National Beard and Moustache Championships®

That's a better. Now, do you think you're ready to put your beard up against the best in the world because these guys don't mess around. When you get sponsored just because you have an epic beard then you're on a whole other level. For more information follow the link after the spinet below about last years competition.

The Just For Men® National Beard and Moustache Championships®

The 2016 National Beard and Moustache Championships took place on Labor Day Weekend in Music City, Nashville, Tennessee. Beardsmen from around the country competed for the prestigious national titles at the historic Ryman Auditorium, famous as the home of the Grand Ole Opry from 1943 to 1974. nationalbeardchampionships.com

This is a new one for me, I'm usually not sitting there cross eyed for ten minutes trying to figure out "what the f". Well not since glitter beards but this one is a little different because of how popular they are.

In essence we are talking about turning your man sized beard into a miniature Christmas tree. I'll admit since the Christmas is my favorite time of year this sparked my interest but I can't see a reasonable opportunity to rock this. Unless you were knew you were going to get fired so you showed up to your holiday part obliterated and covered in these things just to be obnoxious. Now that I can get on board with.

Image via hiconsumption.com

Where To Buy Beard Baubles

There are several options, everything from amazon to niche websites just for these. I suggest you do some research on the material they are made with because you're probably going to be drunk enough to fall on your face or get punched in it to wear these. Make sure that it's a shatter proof plastic, you don't want to end up on that show "craziest ways to die" from a beard bauble laceration.

If you're anything like me then you're just hearing about this new trend. I'm not one to troll around Instagram all looking for the latest and greatest things so I'm a little behind on this, It wasn't until a lady friend of mine ask me if I've heard about "glitter beards".

I'm always looking for a way to give people the content they are looking for and if I played for the other team (demographic mostly associated with this trend) then I'd glitter the hell out of my beard too so here's a little guide on how to do it as well as some history behind how it came about.

Glittering Your Beard In 3 Simple Steps

Step 1 - Clean Your Beard

This thing is going to get funky after a while of wearing it and you're going to feel like you're wearing a pile of dirt rather than glitter unless you throughly clean it first.

Step 2 - Apply Beard Oil

If you've never done this before then just follow the advice I give on my best beard oil 2017 review page. The only difference is that you're going to dowse your beard and make sure that every place you want glitter is damp.

Step 3 - Apply Glitter

There are two ways you're going to need to apply this, first start by tilting your head back and sprinkling it with glitter, this will give you a good base. Then depending on how thick you want the coverage you'll need to lightly pat handful's of glitter into your beard and mustache.

Image via sadanduseless.com

It's really that simple, I would love to tell you that there is an art to it but you don't have to be a rocket scientist to glitter something, just crazy enough to do it!

Why Would You Ever Want To Do This?

If you're not "playing for the other team" then you're probably wondering why you would ever want to do this right? Well let me give you a real life example of how you could use this.

After a long night of wandering the streets with friends I come home to the typically accusation "You went to the strip club!" due to a piece of glitter on my shirt. If you've ever been to old town Scottsdale then you've seen the bottle service comes with giant poppers that cover you in glitter so rather than fight the good fight I just let it go.

The following time I went out with friends I planned a heard and stocked up at Michael's that morning. Before returning home in a state of liquid courage I stopped by one of the guy's houses and put on a full glitter beard.

As you can guess my statement "Look honey, I went to the Stripclub and they really like me there" went over well, what a fun relationship that was.

The last thing I'll say is make sure you use glitter, don't use random types of cereal in your beard. Good day!

Looking for the most up to date list of the best beard styles in 2017 then you've come to the right place and if you're here by mistake then you are also welcome because you probably need to fix that dysfunctional thing you call a beard.

Short Beard Styles

Stubble

Classic look best made by a trimmer rather then just growing it out.

Image via pinterest.com

Thick Sideburns w/ Stubble

Sideburns are longer than your short stubble beard.

Image via pinterest.com

Lined Stubble

Using strait razor you line up your cheeks.

Image via girlsaskguys.com

No Maintenance

The lazy man look, this is just going completely unmaintained as it grows.

Image via nonohairremovalx.com

Blended Cheek

Using the correct guard, trim towards the floor, making the cheeks hair thinner than the chin.

Image via beardstyle.net

Balbo

"Tony Stark"

Disconnected goatee, you'll need to shave a sport between your mustache and chin.

Image via Pinterest.com

Chin Curtain

Clean shaved face with chin hair only which can be long or short.

Image via ruggedrebels.com

Muttonchops

Full facial hair with the chin completely shaved.

Image via beard.org.in

Goat Patch

Man-sized version of the soul patch.

Image via pinterest.com

Horseshoe Mustache

"Hulk Hogan Mustache"

The ultimate American symbol, goatee with the chin shaved off.

Image via siouxcityjournal.com

Neckbeard

Old school cut used to scare kids, only grow out your neck hair and shave the rest.

Image via tumblr.com

Pencil Mustache

A thin mustache that you make by using a razor to thin to your liking.

Image via coolmenshair.com

Sideburns

Straight sideburns.

Image via howretro.com

Soul Patch

Can be clean shaved or with stubble.

Image via huffingtonpost.com

Toothbrush Mustache

Only keep the mustache hair under your nose and shave the rest.

Image via atozhairstyles.com

Van Dyke beard

Grow a long chin beard and shave a gap between your mustache to break the goatee.

Image via dmarge.com

Walrus Mustache

"Sam Elliott"

Overgrown mustache that would be impossible to eat with.

Image via me.askmen.com

The Zappa

Thick soul patch with a full mustache.

Image via http://flavorwire.com

5 O'Clock Shaddow

How you look 12 hours after shaving.

Classic Short

Short cut with the same length all around.

Image via birchbox.com

Chin Strap w/ Mustache

Line the cheeks to make them thinner and complete with a full mustache.

Aftershave

Aftershave is product applied to the skin after a shave (typically liquid based). The active ingredient is a antiseptic which helps in the prevention of an infection from cuts suffered due to shaving. They typically contain a type of astringent which has the ability to shrink pores and reduce excess oil.

Alright now that we've gotten done with that dry nonsense let's get into the nitty gritty of it and why it's actually important.

What It Really Does?

If you're anything like I was then your first thought of aftershave was something your dad used that smelled way too strong (probably Polo) and didn't initially make it into your shaving routine. It wasn't until I got more and more into beards that I really took another look at after shave balm to see if It could make it's way into my starting line up (daily routine).

I found out that it had two main benefits that I was looking for that I briefly spoke about above.

First, the astringent, I don't break out very often but when I do it's one of those deadly neck ingrown hairs. The kind that look like it's about to blink at your and it basically eats the entire hair and takes you a month to find. The beauty of a good astringent is that it helps with this by shrinking the pore itself and cleaning out excess oils. Since I've been regular on my after shaving routine I haven't had one of these.

Second, although I have never had an infection from shaving I have had a friend who got one and I'm not going to play with that mess. He ended up getting an abscess and if you know anything about them then I've said enough.

Usually I like my products to be fairly natural and not alcohol based but when I'm trying to kill possible bacteria I say screw it, I would pour whiskey on face if it worked better.

*Update*

Natural Aftershave

I reached out to my favorite beard oil company to see what alternative they had because my face was getting too dry because of the alcohol in the after shave and this is what I got! They sent me a bottle of their tea tree beard oil and advised me to use it just like an aftershave.

If you know anything about tee tree oil it's by far the most effective astringent that's not alcohol based. I just wanted to throw this little nugget in just in case someone is looking for an effective natural alternative, I'll continue explaining aftershave now.

Simple Step Process On How To Use Aftershave

Step 1 - Preparation
Immediately after shaving rinse your face with cold water, this will do two important things. First, it will wash away any loose hair and excess shaving cream which can cause irritation. Secondly, it will close your pores limiting the exposure time your open pores have to dirt and bacteria.

Make sure you wash your face to the point where you can no longer feel any leftover shaving product.

Massage in from the cheeks down to ensure that you're face get's the attention first. If you're skin is overly dry you will need to add an additional few drops of your brand of aftershave and repeat the process again.

I'm assuming that you're looking into a DIY beard balm because it's a great gift for your boyfriend or if you're a man reading this then you're trying to trick your girlfriend into making it for you, either way well played.

Since beard balms are fairly cheap, you're looking at about $20-30 for a solid product for me it makes sense to just buy them but I do like the idea of having a manly 5 gallon bucket next to your sink full of beard balm to show off to your friends so I tried it myself.

I will say, you can make a pretty nice product on your own although no matter what I did I couldn't get the amazing smell like I do from the products I buy. I'm not alone on this, every forum I read on DIY balms said that is the biggest challenge you'll run into and since one of best things about wearing a beard product is the compliments you get on how good your beard smells I just stick to my favorite brand.

If you can get the formula right & smell perfected, here's mine. Everything but the smell is on point (it's good but not compliments daily good):

How To Make Beard Balm

Your measurements are going to change based upon the amount you want to create, obviously. So at the bottom I'll include a MAN-SIZE recipe just in case you're as crazy as me. I'll also include you're grocery shopping list below so you can get exactly what you need.

1. "Melt" The Ingredients

Using a medium sized pot, bring 8oz of water to a boil. Place a large metal mixing bowl in the pot (the bottom cannot touch to boiling water). Mix in the 6 tbsp beeswax, 4 tbsp cocoa butter, 6 tbsp jojoba oil, 6 tbsp shea butter and 2 tbsp castor oil.

2. Stir Ingredients

Slowly stir the ingredients with a high heat silicone baking spatula for 4-8 minutes or until the mixture is fully melted and mixed.

3. Remove From Heat & Add Essential Oils

After melted removed from the heat and begin to add essential oils, start with a minimum of 5 drops or until you've reached the intensity of smell you desire.

4. Pour Into Containers

Now pour it into your desired containers, for best results use shallow containers that allow the balm to be no taller than 1 centimeter in height. Leave on the counter to cool for two hours and do not cover them or put the lids on until after the two hours is up.

Balm Ingredients

6 tbsp Beeswax

4 tbsp Cocoa Butter

6 tbsp Jojoba oil

6 tbsp Shea Butter

2 tbsp Castor Oil

Favorite Essential Oils

Tools & Tins

10 Small Tins

1 Medium Pot

1 Large Metal Bowl

1 Silicone Baking Spatula

Man Size Recipe

I honestly just took this simple recipe and 10x it, normally this doesn't turn out so well when you're baking something but for this it's perfect. And yes, I bake... Kickass cookies.

What Role Do The Ingredients Play?

Beeswax - The beeswax is what really makes a balm, without it you're going to have some weak gooey substance and won't get the hold you're looking for.Shea & Coca Butter - The shea butter is really for the anti inflammatory properties which can help with any irritation or skin imbalances you have on your face. The cocoa butter on the other hand is full of vitamins and is a natural antioxidant.Carrier Oil - For this we used jojoba because it's so popular now and I thought if I threw up a recipe without it the average person would be like "screw this" but in opinion argan oil is just as good so don't believe all the commercial hype. This is what really gives your balm a nice texture and makes up the bulk of the product typically.Essential Oil - This is the smelly stuff, don't corner it to just that though. There a ton of benefits of specific essential oils that you can use to help with a number of things, everything from skin rashes to oily buildups. Think about adding biotin in your beard oil.

If you're still lost at this point then I don't know what to tell you, call me over and for the price of a giant steak we will make some together.

Let me first start by making the critical distinction that will make you easily understand which is the right one for you then I'll go into detail about each and the pro's/con's. Simply put, beard wax should only be used if you are trying to pull off a look that demands an incredible hold, I'm talking the level of a beard competition (I'll post a picture below of a crazy beard competition where they use beard wax). Beard balm gives you the ability to create a more textured look with your beard without the drawbacks of a gunky wax.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying waxes are bad but I don't think they have a place in everyday beard care. Unless you're trying to enter a competition and you need to work on your beard art daily or you've joined some goth beard club at school. I think your best bet is always to stick to a balm, it's going to cause less damage to your hair and give you a smoother overall look. If you're here by mistake and you're actually looking for beard oil then check out my post on the best beard oils.

Beard Wax

To give you a specific relation if you've never used a wax before (I don't know when you would unless you went through that dreadlocks phase during the grunge years) it's creates the hold of a extra strong hair spray. Although there is a better consistency than dumping a half gallon of hair spray on your face, there is a gunkyness that comes along with any wax.

It's available in different scents like most beard products but it's got less of a punch to it as compared to beard oils. The carrier oil/agent in these products will vary for the most part but you'll find a lot of them are made with beeswax. I've heard a lot of people talk about how great it is for protection against the rain and harsh weather but at one point during a blizzard do you give a crap about what your beard looks like...

Beard Balm

Ahh beard balm the beautiful crossbreeding of beard wax & oil, it's basically the donkey of the beard kingdom. I say that in a very positive way (I probably should of said unicorn instead but..). This is my favorite type of product when my beard gets to a certain point, when it reaches the length that it starts to get a mind of it's own then this is great for getting it to shape exactly how you want.

They usually go light with the beeswax which is also typically found in a balm and still retain most of the effects. Now you wont be able to walk on stage at a beard competition with just using a beard balm but you can get the serious hold without the gunky mess.

How To Apply Beard Wax or Balm

Now here's the trick of it all, don't you dare try to just slap this on the outside of your beard and try to finger it through, you're not going to get the full effects. You're going to need a great beard comb or brush, if you have no idea what I'm talking about then visit my post to understand what the best beard brush is for you.

Here's a quick rundown on how I apply it:

Step 1 - Get a thumbnail size amount in your palm.

Step 2 - Massage into the outside of your beard.

Step 4 - Bush your beard out.

Do I really Ever Need A Wax?

I think they are great for really making a statement or Halloween parties but unless you have an incredible beard that people would pay money to see then probably not. On the other hand it gives you something to shoot for, I mean who doesn't want to look like the guy from 300 (He uses a beard wax to get that look).

Now this can be a problem for a man at any age, I don't care if you're 18 or a 28 year old man you could still be in the process of trying to squeeze out your first full beard. Discarding the actually physiological imbalance for a second (I'll get into those later), let's start with start with the most obvious reasons why your mom has more facial hair than you and work our way into the more dark arts of beard growing.

Keep It Clean

I know this seems fairly obvious but you would be surprised at how many people just disregard this as a real hindrance in their beard growing journey. I think it's because they focus on the wrong issue, they are probably referring to their skin getting to dry and that causing an issue but actually the bigger problem comes in when you skin gets too oily. As the oil builds up it begins to start clogging your pores and thus interfering with the hair follicle itself. I'll use this analogy even though I've ran through it a few times in my heard and there is no way to make this not sound crazy. Imagine if your parents dumped you in a box and through a bunch of mud on you, how easy would it be for you to grow... Good look forgetting that weird mental picture.

Check Your Testosterone

It's never too early to get your hormone levels checked, you would be surprised at how many people have hormonal imbalances that can inhibit hair growth among other things. Whether you grew up with a crazy home environment (like the kid in the box above) or you were like me and you experimented with all sorts of over the counter pro hormones that the guy at the supplement shop said are "safe" then you've probably done more damage then you realize.

As a man if you at any point mess with your testosterone level then you can pretty much guarantee that it's going to be permanently out of wack for the rest of your life. It's not the end of the world though, just schedule an appointment with your doctor and have them do a full hormone panel, if the test comes back with Low T or elevated estrogen levels then a form of TRT (testosterone replacement therapy) could be an option.

Hair Growth Serum

I know what you're thinking, this serum stuff sounds like an amazing new thing that you have to buy, in reality I just couldn't think of another word to use. It's actually just Rogaine foam that you use on your beard. There isn't a ton of research backing it and it's not FDA approved so it's one of those lovely little gray area's in life where you get to turn your body into the experiment. Do you research first, you can check out the post I did on it by clicking rogaine foam above because there are some periods that will scare you, like the shedding period. Don't worry, it will get worse before it gets better than life will be good again.

If you have these three areas in check then you shouldn't have any issues growing a huge beard faster than you were before.

Pogonophile

So let me get this straight someone whispered to you that this was in fact another way to get that full facial hair look you've always wanted. While I still to this day think that these weird wise tales are funny they do have some truth to them but not exactly what you had in mind. It actually has the same benefits you get from putting in the hair on the top of your head (which I'll explain later) but just in case you're coming here to learn how to apply it, let's go over that first.

How To Apply Coconut Oil To Your Beard

Now I know what you're thinking is coconut oil really for your beard? Actually it's really good for it but you're going to have to take some precautions otherwise it will look like you're moonlighting as an adult film star.

I'm not going to give you a 5 step system on how to apply coconut oil to your face, I've made too many of those ridiculous posts on this site and let's hope by this point in lift that you've mastered the art of taking something out of a jar and applying it to an area of your body without dying. So what I'm going to do is give you a few key points that you need to know.

#1 Use Refined Coconut Oil

I know what you're thinking "But unrefined is better because blah blah blah" and yes your blah's are correct but unless you're going to lay on your stomach like a chubby six year old kid and eat half a jar while you're putting it on your beard, don't worry about it. Trust me, I tried to use unrefined but not matter how warm I got it pasty white flakes in my beard that looked like There's Something About Mary but worse because I'm a man..

#2 Don't Use Too Much

If your first instinct was like mine and you want instant results then you're going to have to fight the urge to throw a gallon on your face. As much as you and I hoped it did, it doesn't work that way. It will actually cause more problems because you will end up clogging your pores and inhibit beard growth. The best thing you can do is use a small amount and stay consistent with it, put your oil in place where you can't forget to use it. If you wife get's mad that it looks tacky to have it sitting on the bathroom counter then find a 'pretty' little container to store it in or just buy her a car.

Sorry I just have to point out the ignorance of the world real quick. As I was paroozing the internet to find cold hard facts on why coconut oil is so good for your hair and the indirect result it has on hair growth (it helps keep your hair healthy, it does NOT grow your hair) I found this lovely quote from the first search engine result -

Call me crazy but that isn't even a complete sentence. I think there is supposed to be a "and some crap happens to make it grow" but since there is no evidence to support that they just ended the sentence right there. Alright that is enough of my tangent, here is the truth.

How Coconut Oil Helps Beard Hair

I'm only going to list one because to me it's the real powerhouse of why it's so good for facial hair. Simply put, it's a great anti bacterial and anti fungal. If you have done any research on the good ole dermis then you know that the biggest determent to hair growth is unhealthy skin and this is a great way to remedy that.

When it comes to making your beard smooth and silky or hydrating your skin I say there are several better way's to make that happen. Check out the Beard Oil Balm Homepage for more info on that.

To be honest I wanted to give you not only a guide of how to use a bread trimming template but also a DIY way to cut out your own. Why? Because I wanted the same thing, I thought why buy one of these cheap plastic shaping tools when I can make one out of a block of wood, all I need is a faint excuse to fire up the saw and I'm doing it. Turns out now matter how good of craftsman you are the cheap plastic route is just that much better. So much to my dismay since I would love to see a world of men with a slab of oak against their face while they are training, here is a guide to using a shaping template.

Beard Trimming Guide Tool How To's

1. Comb Out Your Beard

Image via beardicure.com

I like to wet the comb a little to get the hair to cooperate a little more and tame some of those stragglers first. Don't get your beard too wet or you'll run into issues with the clippers getting gunked up. Pick your favorite comb/brush here, I tend to use all of them at once just to prove a point.

2. Decide Your Depth

Image via Pinterest.com

I tend to go a little lower than most but everyone is different on this due to the shape of your face. You will see notches in the side of the tool (if it's a good one) that will help you line up both sides evenly every time. I have an oddly large tragus so I use that to line up the dots with and as a side note who knew that weird thing that women sometimes pierce is called a tragus... Make sure you pick a spot on your ear and use it consistently because if you pick a difference spot every time, one morning or a time when you decide to drunk trim, you're going to end up looking like you had a stroke victim with one droopy side.

3. Line Up The Tool & Press To Your Face (Trimmer or Blade)

Don't be afraid to get aggressive with it, now we're not forcing marshmallows into keyholes here but you want to get it firm enough against your face so that you don't cut underneath it. Basically the opposite of the picture that I'm providing you on the right. Now depending on the length of hair on your cheeks your can do one of three things. First, use a trimmer only to give the five o clock shadow look. Second, if you have shorter hair then you can go strait for the razor and get a close shave on those rosy cheeks. Finally, if you want the close shave but have a build up of cheek hair then to a little weed wacking (trimming) first then shave it down.

4. Flip The Tool Upside Down For Neckline

Image via Youtube.com

This is my favorite part because as you can see when you do this correctly you look like a degenerate gambler or strait pirate until you cut the little point off the bottom of your neckline. All you do is flip the tool upside down and trim your neck on both sides by flipping it horizontally. Then trim the remaining piece off your neck unless your want to look like you just spent your kids Christmas gift money at the Golden Nugget.

5. Clean Up Your Side Burns

It's best to do this step after you've finished your neckline so you can line it up perfectly. Simply flip the tool back to Step 3 position and trim the backside, the part between your beard and your ear, following it all the way down and lining up with our neckline.

If you've done all this correctly and you didn't start drinking at 3am then you should have a killer looking beard. If you for any reason cut yourself it's not my fault, you have fat hands and you need to go on a diet chumbo.

My Favorite Tool

If you know me, then that's already weird because you found this off the search engines, you know my favorite brand is Zeus. They make killer oils and balms and they just added this tool that has a straight edge to it too so you can make some crazy shapes with your beard. Click the link or picture to check it out

Whether you're girlfriend who has a great idea to make your man a DIY beard oil or you're someone who want's to scale up their beard product to a manufacturing level and you need the highest quality bottle with the lowest cost and MOQ (minimum order quantity) then this will guide you in the process.

DIY Reusable Bottles/Containers

My top three around the house items are:

1. Contact Lens Bottles

These are easily the best DIY bottles because they are the exact size you need and use the same application principles. Since a few drops will do the trick with beard oil this will make sure they last as long as they should.

2. TSA Travel Bottles

If you've traveled since 2001 then you have these somewhere around your house otherwise you're a gross person to vacation with. These are a good short term option but because they are plastic you run the risk of getting parabens in your oil if they ever get heated.

3. Nail Bottles

Nail polish bottles are good because they are a high quality of glass that will protect your solution better than the TSA bottles but they have a useless nail brush that just feels weird to paint your beard with.

Small Scale Production

If you're starting out in the market place or you just want to make a great party gift for all of your bachelor party buddies then you're going to want to splurge for a dozen 1oz amber glass bottles. This is by far the best way to package your oils because the amber tinted glass protects from damaging the essential oil combination you've concocted far better than any other option. There are also uv black glass bottles available that offer an even higher level of protection if you are really worried about it.

1oz Black Glass UV Resistant Dropper Bottles

Image via Amazon.com

1oz Amber Glass Bottles

Image via Amazon.com

Manufacturing or Sourcing

Now if your looking for a manufacturing solution then you're at the point where you're ready to scale your business to another level while simultaneously increasing profits because anyone who has ever manufactured anything overseas will tell you the profit margin is on a whole other level. I'm going to give you the exact step by step process on how to source those lovely little glass bottles from China and protect your ass in the process.

Step 1. Find a Manufacturer on Alibaba.com

You're probably saying to yourself "I've heard horror stories about that place" and there are some pretty bad ones out there but If you do what I say then you'll be safe. Side note, if you have a relationship with someone in China by all means use them for your sourcing process but I wanted to give an outline fore anyone to take the steps needed to get this done.

Search for a manufacturer in China that specializes in glass by simply searching for "1oz glass bottles"

Step 2. Submit a Sample Request

You're most likely going to have to front the shipping cost to get a sample to you but trust me it's worth it to get an real life version of their craftsmanship. If the quality is up to your standards then go onto the next step, if not rinse and repeat with another factory.

Step 3. Submit a Buyers Request

There are a couple of specific things you're going to want to include so make sure you pay attention.

1. MOQ

This is the "minimum order quantity" that a factory will accept, it can very anywhere from a 100 all the way up to 100k so make sure you're working with a factory that will fit the current size of your business.

2. Express Shipping

If you want to take the time to get a customs agent and ship it by...ship to save a few bucks then go for it but it's a light enough weight product that using express shipping is fairly cost effective and companies like DSL will act as the customs agent on your behalf.

You're going to want to include these two questions into your buyers request. "What's your MOQ" & "Please include express shipping in the quote". From that point you'll be able to pull the trigger and get your beard oil business off the ground.